Volunteering
VolunteeringFind your way to help and bring joy for yourself and others.
This website contains free or affordable services and activities organised by the City of Helsinki and organisations in person in Helsinki and online.
Volunteer work gives you something meaningful to do and valuable new experiences. You can meet people outside your regular circles. Volunteer work is unpaid and based on your willingness to help. Volunteer activities support individuals and communities. It brings people together and reduces loneliness.
Volunteer work can be done on a one-off basis or in the long term. You can volunteer in many life situations and even if you only speak a little bit of Finnish.
Volunteering in Helsinki
The City of Helsinki has volunteer opportunities of various kinds from one-time events to offering long-term support, from tidy indoor jobs to a smoky campfire hut and from cultural events to every-day help.
There are many kinds of opportunities around the city. There is something for every volunteer on the basis of their interests and time.
Volunteering in nonprofit organisations
The Vapaaehtoistyö.fi service is a national platform for volunteer work. The service lists available volunteer opportunities.
The Lähellä.fi service contains volunteer opportunities at nonprofit organisations.
How to start volunteering
The website has an online course called Helvi that talks about the basics of volunteering and lets you think about what volunteering could give you.
Everyone has the right to participate in volunteer activities, i.e. work done for free that is carried out for the good of people or communities. On this website, you can find more information about your right to volunteer.